Rash Actions
by Panino
Summary: What happens when everyone but one gives up on the past?
1. Prologue

**AN: My first attempt at a Naruto fanfic. I'm sad to say that I don't own these fine characters. Please let me know what you think!**

**Prologue**

The vixen landed roughly on her bottom as she was thrown into the drab cell. Emerald eyes glittered through the darkness, flashing dangerously up at their captivator. Besides her worn down appearance -- numerous gashes adorning her face, once pink hair darkened with dried blood -- the girl was tough, wild. Certainly not one to be looked down upon.

"You can't keep me here forever," she hissed. The words were true from the moment they rolled off her tongue. She knew, with an odd sense of thrill, that if they intended to dispose of her, it wouldn't be a clean death.

"What makes you speak with such confidence?" The shadowed eyes of the enemy were upon her; she could feel it.

"I know your type," she answered.

"Oh?"

The corners of her lips lifted into a grin. Forever would she enjoy talking to scum such as this one. "You won't find a use for me. Eventually you'll suffer of boredom, and have nothing better to do than to kill me."

"Why would I _ever_ want to kill you?" The deep voice was dry with sarcasm. Rather than replying though, the woman let her eyes drift around the room.

A single torch mounted on the wall cast a dim light, allowing her to somewhat see the room. A metal bench was chained from the stone wall. _How cozy_, she thought. In the corner was a heap of damp straw. She didn't even want to question about what was lurking in there. The room smelled heavily of bodily waste. Perhaps she would prefer dying than residing in such a place as this.

"Nice place," the girl commented smartly, wrinkling her nose.

She attempted to stand, but could only get as far as kneeling on one knee. She gritted her teeth at the pain that throbbed through her limbs, but otherwise made her weakness unnoticeable.

"Your death won't be until a while, so you might as well look forward to it." The voice now came from behind her. Her beryl eyes widened once more before she felt the pressure of a hand on her mid-back. _Fast. _Instantaneously, she felt drained of all physical capabilities. The orbs that had so ferociously challenged her enemy before were now curtained by eyelids as she fell into deep sleep.

The sound of keys jingling sounded throughout the room, the captor stepped over the now limp body. He opened a heavy mahogany door, leading to a brighter lit corridor. His placid face was unreadable as he closed the door, locking it behind him. In the room, the kunoichi lay unconcious in the dark, a single word escaping her lips in a moan.

"Bastard."

**AN: End of prologue! I know 't was a bit short, but I'll try and have the first chapter up as soon as possible. Feel free to review.**


	2. No Time to Spare

_**AN**_: _Here's chapter one! And just in case you're wondering, the prologue took place in the future._

**Chapter One: No Time to Spare  
**

Sakura was perched high in a tree, her lithe form perfectly balanced. _Where is he?_ Her venomous eyes scanned the landscape. A gust of wind whipped past her, sending her short hair flying in all directions. In that moment she looked fatal. Very fatal indeed.

"Sakura-san!"

_Dammit_, she thought. It was Sai, probably on his way to tell her that the sighting was, once again, a false alarm. Or in other words, her chase was futile.

Powerful legs pushed off from the tree, and she was flying freely. Flying away from what she knew was the truth: Uchiha Sasuke was out of her grasp.

_(Hn.)_

"Dammit!"

Her scream echoed through the forest.

* * *

The sun had long been down by the time Sakura was back in Konoha -- her village that she couldn't help but feel seemed less of a home than in past years. The roads were nearly deserted, only a few citizens walking hurriedly back to their homes as a light drizzle began. Sakura let her head fall back. She enjoyed the feeling of the cool drops cascading over her cheeks, and she wished she could wash away with the water. Life was too much for her lately. Most times it seemed like it was her versus the world in mortal combat.

The kunoichi sighed, and began to amble her way to her apartment. It had been enough for the day, even if 'enough' truly meant she ended up back where she started.

She was nearly there when she heard a horribly familiar laugh from the restaurant. She knew instinctively who it came from, and it sent a tremor of anger through her body. Shuddering inwardly, she entered the restaurant, and found two of her comrades seated at the counter, one of which was teetering on the edge of his stool, clearly drunk.

"Oh. Sakura." Her eyes landed upon Sai, who was looking at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Sa-ku-ra?" came a slow voice.

She looked at the drunken Naruto disgustedly, choosing to ignore Sai's question. "You've been drinking again," she muttered. It was not a question, for she could smell the stench of his breath.

"Jus' a bit," Naruto slurred, looking up at her through barely open eyes.

The kunoichi could not help but feel frustrated to the core. Today she had been continuing her seemingly endless pursuit of their long lost partner, and Naruto was sitting here inhaling ramen and chugging sake like there was no tomorrow.

"Just who _gave_ you this alcohol in the first place, Naruto?" Her gaze darted back to Sai, who cringed under her stare.

The drunken ninja didn't answer, but merely planted his face in his ramen bowl instead. Nope, it didn't look like she would be getting any answers out of him tonight.

"Come on," she mumbled, pulling his face out of his food. "Get up." She tugged him out of his seat, and placed his arm around her shoulder. "Time to go home." No matter how much she thought she hated it, she was long used to babying the ninja.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked distantly.

"_Home_, Naruto. Now walk. I'd like to go home myself sometime tonight," she answered.

"Do you want help, Sakura?" Her black-haired companion stood up, looking horribly guilty.

Her eyes softened. "No, I'll be fine. It's on the way anyhow," she sighed. "You're okay paying for this?"

Sai nodded. "I'll get Naruto to pay me back."

A smile graced her lips for the first time that night. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

* * *

_-Approximately five years ago-_

Her throat was burning. No, not burning, but on fire. It ached with every heaving sob that shook her thin frame.

Those charcoal eyes were sneering at her again.

"Don't go!" The throbbing sensation was nearly unbearable as she raised her already shaking voice. "If you go, I'll scream and..."

_And die._

He ignored her efforts to stop him at all costs, and then he was behind her, muttering the two words that confirmed her worst fear.

"Thank you."

She wanted to add that she would die without him, if not physically, then inside. She wanted to make him _see _her. But then she fell into darkness.

* * *

Things were quiet again for a while as they walked toward Naruto's flat. His arm was still draped around his comrade, but as the moments passed, and they continued walking, his weight against her lessened.

"Sai said you were on a mission today."

Sakura raised her eyebrows, surprised that he managed to put together a sentence on his own. "I suppose it was a mission of sorts..."

They were almost there by the time Naruto spoke again. "He said you left him behind. You shouldn't do that, Sakura. You could get hurt."

"He was being slow," Sakura replied casually, not knowing why he was so concerned about her day to begin with.

"He's your comrade, y'know."

"For the love of God," Sakura sighed, frustrated. She didn't expect to be pestered by the ninja, who was drunk beyond belief, when she volunteered to escort him back home. "We can't afford to be slow, Naruto. Sasuke isn't going to sit around waiting for us to find him."

They were there now, standing in front of the building, when Sakura stopped.

"Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes were empty, and his brow was wrinkled, like he was trying very hard to remember something.

Suddenly, Sakura felt crushed. Did he really not remember? Was she the only one still holding onto the past?

"Just how serious are you, Naruto? What happened? What's _wrong_ with you?" Her throat was dry, and she swallowed with the intent of solving that problem, but to no avail.

Blue eyes glistened at her seriously, and Sakura now had the feeling that he was not completely intoxicated. That there was, in fact, _something_ working inside that head of his. "What's wrong with me?"

"Yes! You drink all the time! What happened to the days when you wanted to be Hokage?"

"Hokage?"

Sakura looked crestfallen. "Are you _trying_ to forget? Is that your way of solving things?"

"Are you...angry with me, Sakura?" He looked confused, scratching his mop of sun colored hair.

She hesitated. Her throat was burning. "No, I just..."

The rain spilled down in a rage, soaking them both. Sakura spoke through the storm.

"I... no. I'm not angry. You're just the last person I expected to give up, Naruto."

And even though his face was already completely soaked by the rain, Sakura could tell he was crying when she said it. She knew he was crying, and she knew that she wanted nothing more than to stop thinking and cry with him. But some aching, lost part of her just couldn't spare the time to do that.

* * *

**-End of Chapter One-**

**_AN: _**_So, feel free to tell me what you guys think of it so far. Suggestions and constructive criticism are welcomed. Review, Review, Review. _


	3. Suspended

**Chapter Two: Suspended**

Sakura woke with her head pounding. Grumbling, she sat up in bed, massaging her temples. Something resembling a growl escaped her throat as she remembered the previous day's events. The mission, Sai, the drunken Naruto. They all flooded back to her in one big tidal wave. It hurt her head to think about it.

After she watched Naruto disappear into his flat, she stood for a moment, wondering if she had been a bit too hard on Naruto. Maybe she had been. However, this still didn't stop her from feeling betrayed. Of all people, how did Naruto forget about Sasuke? About Team Seven?

Someone across the room cleared their throat, interrupting her thoughts.

In one, smooth reflex, she whipped out a kunai from underneath her pillow. Her eyes, which were blurry with sleep, failed to fully make out the appearance of the unwelcomed visitor. Something about the figure was familiar, but Sakura couldn't place what. "Who are you?" Sakura demanded.

"Shizune. Lower your weapon, Sakura."

"Shizune? What is it?"

The petite black-haired kunoichi was calm, taking no notice of the kunai Sakura slowly lowered.

"Tsunade-sama would like to see you."

Something in the pit of Sakura's stomach gave her the feeling that the Hokage wasn't summoning her in the midst of the early morning to enjoy a cup of tea.

* * *

A total of approximately fifteen minutes had passed since Sakura had woken up, and she was now standing in the familiar room that was Tsunade's office. Tsunade herself was seated at her usual place, at the desk in front of the wide window, looking as refreshed as ever. On the other hand, Sakura had to struggle immensely to prevent any sign of exhaustion from leaking into her expression.

The Hokage exhaled audibly, then opened her mouth to speak. "Sakura, your actions lately have been concerning us. Not only that, but your emotions seem to be a little out of wack. Perhaps a vacation is in need here?"

It took a mere second for the kunoichi to realize what was happening here, and there was no way she would _let_ it happen. Her pursuit could not manage to be delayed.

"Tsunade-sama, I have only been working my hardest. I will always be working my hardest. There is no need for any vacation." She tried her best to sound casual.

But the Hokage would not accept her excuse so easily. "At any rate, you have been charging into missions without thinking. Just yesterday you abandoned all reasoning, left your comrade behind after being warned of a sighting of a wanted ninja. Not just a _wanted_ ninja, but a potentially dangerous ninja to Konoha, Uchiha Sasuke." The woman sighed, took a sip of the sake before her, then continued. "I understand your ties with the Uchiha are close, but that is no reason for you to be rash, Sakura. You are one of my most trustworthy ninjas. I expected you to be able to control your emotions to a larger extent."

"I understand, Tsunade-sama, but--"

Tsunade's eyes flashed at the girl's persistence in the matter. "Haruno Sakura, I suggest you let me finish. Arguing with me is not going to help you, I assure you."

"Sorry," Sakura mumbled, giving up on being polite.

"I am suspending you from any missions for the time being."

The kunoichi stared into her teacher's coppery eyes with disbelief. "You can't! We don't have the ti--"

"Sakura, it's good to work hard on your missions, but you've been working a little _too_ hard."

The kunoichi stood with her mouth agape, trying to find some way to change her teacher's mind. But she could find none. "If you think it's for the best."

The Hokage nodded. "Then our meeting is concluded," she said in her rich voice.

Hesitating only for a moment, Sakura walked to the door of the office. She was about to leave -- almost happy to leave -- when she was stopped.

"Don't think about this so much. You need to realize you're not the only one dealing with this."

With her back still turned, Sakura turned Tsunade's words over in her head. "Then why does it feel like it?"

The Hokage watched the back of her former student disappear.

* * *

It was now the afternoon, and Sakura was sitting in a dimly lit bar, drink in hand. Currently she was lost in angry thoughts, her grip on the glass tightening as she recapped Tsunade's scolding.

"Sakura?"

She looked up, eyes watery from the smoke that filled the room. It was Sai.

He took a seat, waved the bartender over, and ordered himself a drink. "Heard you met with the Hokage today."

She threw a glare in his direction. Was he trying to pick a fight? "Tch. You always seem to find me at the worst times," she muttered.

"Did something happen?"

She saw no humor in his eyes, and decided she could talk to him. "I got fired."

"Fired?" The ninja raised his eyebrows.

Sakura sighed. "Well, not fired. _Suspended_. Is there a difference?"

Sai looked at his hands for a moment. "Maybe..." he began, then refrained from continuing, shaking his head.

"What?" she urged him.

"Perhaps she had a good reason."

She looked at him. "Sure, I'll agree that I've tended not to think every now and then. But suspended?"

"Maybe it's not as bad as you think."

_Not as bad as you think_. Sakura laughed. "Maybe it's not to _you. _But to me, I can't stand for it. I don't have _time _for it."

Sai looked at her funny. "Why? Why don't you have time for it?"

"I have to bring Sasuke back before it's too late," she said quietly, taking a sip of her drink.

"Do you think _Sasuke_ wants that? Maybe his bonds with you and Naruto are in the past. Maybe he's forgotten them."

Sakura clenched her jaw. "What do _you _know about this, Sai?"

"Well, if they're not in the past, then why hasn't he come back yet? If Konoha meant that much to him, then why would he be wandering around with Orochimaru?"

"Because he has to avenge his--"

"How can you be _sure_?"

She wanted to scream. There was no convincing him. It was obvious whose side he was on.

"Say what you want," she fumed. "I'm done here."

Without looking at her partner again, she slammed her money down onto the counter, stood, and left.

How had everyone gotten so hopeless? Orochimaru could be using Sasuke as a pawn to trigger the destruction of Konoha, yet no one else felt it necessary to act.

And if no one else was willing to do something about it, then she would just have to do something herself.


End file.
